• Brain Cells: Listening to Prisoner Learners

'Brain Cells', the new report from Prisoners Education Trust, considers the varied elements of prisoner learning, based on a survey of 500 serving prisoners.

The survey asked a wide range of questions including about current levels of support for students, motivations for undertaking education and areas that could be improved. With the start of the new OLASS 4 education contracts in prisons, the report is a timely consideration of the needs of prisoner learners, with a number of practical and policy recommendations for improving provision across the prison estate.

Click here to download the report and see below for the executive summary.

Chapter One: Learner Voice

â¢ Learner voice refers to âdeveloping a culture and processes whereby learners are consulted and proactively engage withshaping their own educational experiencesâ1. This survey demonstrates that prisoners have something to say about theirexperiences of learning in prison and how it could be improved to better meet their needs. 40% of prisoners said they hadnot had an opportunity to feedback about their learning experience.â¢ Over a quarter of respondents want to be actively engaged through learner forums and to be trained in participation skills.Over half want to meet with policy makers directly.

Chapter Two: Learning Needs

â¢ Nearly 80% of respondents had qualifications when they came into prison, including 45% with a GCSE. As a result, 41% feltthe level of courses on offer in prison were poor.â¢ This report questions the official statistics about prisonersâ educational profiles. It makes the case for reviewing this data andproviding more opportunities for higher level learning so prisoners, particularly those with longer sentences, can progress.â¢ 20% of respondents self reported difficulties with learning, however a third were unable to give their difficulties a specific labelindicating a lack of screening and official diagnosis.â¢ This survey also reveals that BAME respondents achieved fewer qualifications in prison than white respondents across the fullspectrum of qualifications.

Chapter Three: Learning Support

â¢ Learning in the prison environment can be hard; success is more likely if prisoner learners have the support and facilities theyneed.â¢ Only 18% of respondents reported having contributed to their individual learning plan.â¢ 84% of respondents received support from prison education staff. 42% of respondents said they had received support fromprison officers with their learning. Half had received learning support from other prisoners. 43% felt support for distancelearning in their prison was poor.â¢ The survey responses indicate that increased access to computers and a wider range of books, materials and resourceswould help prisoners with their learning.

Chapter Four: Why Learn?

â¢ Nearly 70% of prisoners indicate that improving their employability is a motivation and 73% of respondents think their learninghas improved their chances of getting a job. However the survey indicates that the benefits of learning are much wider thanthis.â¢ 82% of respondents felt learning had increased their âability and desire for learningâ, therefore progression pathways are keyto continue this momentum. This will also enable prisoners to reach levels of education that will improve their employmentprospects.â¢ 65% of respondents said they wanted to continue learning after release. However the respondents saw funding, housingproblems and lack of advice as barriers to continuing their education outside the gate. Over half of prisoners want to starttheir own business.

Chapter Five: Who Should Pay?

â¢ The survey asked respondents for their thoughts about making contributions towards the cost of distance learning courses.71% of respondents thought that prisoners should not have to pay anything as they do not earn enough, however 59% ofrespondents said they that they would take out a student loan for certain courses.